Participation of North Village developers suddenly makes South Village sewer expansion affordable

The Woods Valley Ranch Water Reclamation Facility will be expanded to serve the North and South Villages. See story.

June 05, 2013

There was some excitement last week in the offices of the Valley Center Municipal Water District (VCMWD) when checks totaling more than $1 million were brought in by North Village developers Herb Schaffer, Napoleon Zervas, Dexter Wilson and Steve McPartland, signaling their participation in the Phase 2 expansion of the South Village Sewer Plant.

The participation by these developers, who are known together as the Weston/View Properties doubles the size of the expansion from about 350 EDUs (equivalent dwelling units) to 700 EDUs and makes the buy-in amount of $25,000 per EDU, (a savings of about a $10,000 per EDU on the average) much more attractive. Which makes it possible that additional landowners will take advantage of signing on before the final deadline of June 30.

According to Wally Grabbe, VCMWD engineer, it is possible that the treatment plant expansion could reach 800 or more connections. Conceivably the plant expansion could accommodate as many as 1,000 EDUs, he said.

Schaffer and Zervas had been on the fence as to whether or not to participate, and Schaffer had spoken to the board twice in an attempt to wring out some financial concessions from the district that would have sweetened the deal for him. Schaffer had argued that since his participation would lower the cost per EDU that his company should get some special financial considerations that other developers were not getting. He also balked at first at providing the water district land for treated water storage. However, the water board supported staff recommendations not to offer the concessions and Schaffer came on board anyway.

Weston Valley Center LLC is the developer of nearly 100 acres and Valley Center View Properties owns about 40 acres that is partially surrounded by the Weston parcel. The properties are located north of VC Road between Cole Grade and Miller Roads.

The participation of the additional developers will not slow down the project, Grabbe said. "With their participation we will go out to property owners with another round, and provide one more opportunity to participate and close it off by the end of June.

Work should start on the expansion July 2014, with date of completion scheduled for December of 2015. "We will spend the next year in design, getting approvals and going out to bids," Grabbe said.

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